Night Bloom
by Okaeri-Kairi
Summary: Ice skaters are only competitive for a short time in their youth, and Katsuki Yuuri has already crossed his limit. At the age of 24, he retires and goes home to Hasetsu, unsure of his future. The only things he knows for sure are that even if his career was short-lived, he did his best, and that things are always unpredictable with Victor Nikiforov around.


When Victor takes the ice, the world goes silent. All eyes are on him, all voices die away, his skates scraping across the ice with a sharp sound that cuts through the rink. What unfolds is a dance, a beautiful, polished piece of art, with or without music. It's impossible to look away, though only a fool would want to.

Yuuri never wanted to, though he knew he was also a fool. Watching Victor skate always lit a fire in his heart, always made him impatient to join in, though he knew he shouldn't just now. Instead, his hands gripped the rail on the rink wall, his throat thick with emotion.

 _Wow..._ he thought, as though he'd never seen this routine before. But of course he had, and of course it always hit him the same way. Tears were threatening to spill down his cheeks, and he swallowed to force them back.

"Yuuri..."

He only vaguely registered the tug on his shirt, unwilling to take his eyes from the sight of Victor's performance.

"Yuuri...!"

He tore himself away to look down at a pair of petulant brown eyes. A small boy was clutching at his shirt, his messy black hair sticking up in all directions and a frown on his face.

"What is it, Natsume?" Yuuri sighed, determined not to show his annoyance at being interrupted.

"I can't tie my skates," Natsume whined.

"Ah, right." Yuuri reluctantly bent down, reaching for the boy's laces. He tried to hurry, but by the time he finished a small cheer echoed through the rink; Victor had finished skating his piece.

 _Oh no, I wanted to see the end..._

"Yuuri! Were you watching?!" Like an overexcited puppy, Victor bent over the wall, his eyes sparkling. He was nearly thirty, though he never acted like it; sometimes Yuuri felt like he was the older one, though there were times, especially on the ice, when Victor showed his maturity. Now was not one of those times.

"I saw most of it," Yuri smiled nervously as he straightened up and adjusted his glasses. Victor pouted.

"Most? You didn't see the end?"

"Sorry, Natsume needed me to tie up his skates..."

"Hmph, and to think I did that last combination just for you..." he said, sighing.

"Victor-sensei! That was really cool!" A little girl in a blue parka bounced up and down excitedly on the bench, several other children voicing in their agreement as they grouped around Victor and Yuuri.

"Wasn't it?" Victor smiled, winking at them. "That was a double toe loop and a quadruple flip. Competitive skaters use jump combinations to score points, though I'm afraid you guys will need to work really hard before you can try them." A collective "awwww" rose from the group, though Yuuri thought they still looked reasonably excited. "Alright, who's ready to show me what they practiced this week?"

* * *

"The kids sure love you," Yuuri noted as they sat on the benches in the locker room, removing their skates.

"You think so?" Victor asked nonchalantly, bent over to untie his laces. "I don't really go easy on them though."

"Ha, you're spartan as all hell, but they still like you. It's pretty amazing when you think about it."

Victor paused and looked up at him. "Hmm? You sound off, Yuuri."

"Huh?"

Without warning, Victor took his chin, searching his face with his calm blue eyes. Yuuri immediately felt his heart speed up, and he was sure he was blushing. There was a soft look on Victor's face, one Yuuri had seen before.

"Is something on your mind?" he finally asked, letting go gently. Yuuri blinked for a moment, trying to recollect his senses.

"Wh-what?"

"You have that look, the one that says you're worrying about something," Victor said calmly, returning to his skates.

"Oh, uhm, no, not really..."

"Hmmm, somehow I doubt that," Victor clicked his tongue, but he didn't press any further. They fell into silence for a few minutes, the only sound the combined rustling of their clothes as they prepared to go home. "Say, Yuuri... don't come by for a few days, all right?"

Yuuri stopped dead.

"What? Why not?" he asked, bewildered.

"I feel like you need some time off the ice," Victor said, looking at him meaningfully. "Just... do me the favor, won't you?"

A weight seemed to settle on Yuuri's heart.

"Fine..."

He didn't mean to sound as surly as he did.

* * *

By the time they got home, the uneasiness had turned to anxiety. Yuuri could hardly stomach his dinner, nor could he hear when his mother or his sister tried to talk to him. He stayed too long in the bath and nearly fainted, and once he was in bed, he found he couldn't sleep at all.

 _Why doesn't Victor want me to come to classes anymore?_ he asked himself for the millionth time as he turned in his bed, away from Victor's back. _Am I a bother? I must be... I mean, it's not like I'm doing anything useful... I just show up and watch his lessons like a weirdo stalker. Oh god, what if a mom thinks I'm a pedophile and complained about me?! Or what if the kids themselves are nervous around me?! Or maybe Victor just doesn't want me around as much anymore..._

The thought stung painfully, and Yuuri found himself clutching at his blanket desperately, the ring on his finger uncomfortably tight as he clenched.

 _I'm so boring, and useless, and I don't even have a job anymore... What if he's tired of me? What if he wants to get a divorce?!_

His cheeks felt wet, and he found he had to keep himself from sniffling in order to avoid waking Victor.

 _Am I not good enough now that I'm retired? Does he regret retiring to be with me...? Victor isn't like me... he could have easily continued to skate for another year or two..._

 _Or, is he disappointed in me? For retiring so much earlier than he did?_

 _Does... does he hate me now?_

It was only after he'd tired himself out crying that he finally drifted off into a fitful sleep.

* * *

In the morning, he woke to an empty bed. A small note lay on Victor's side, and Yuuri immediately seized it, his worst fears rushing through him. Clumsily, he reached for his glasses and slammed them onto his face, unfolding the note with trembling fingers.

 _Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. I meant to wake you, but you looked so tired I decided to let you rest. I went off to work, so take care of Makkachin while I'm out. I'll be back in time for dinner._ _Love,_ _Victor_

"Oh, thank God," he said, the dread washed away by a wave of relief. A soft whining at his feet caught him off guard, and he looked up to see Victor's poodle, Makkachin, staring at him with large, hopeful eyes. Yuuri turned to look at the clock and was shocked to find it was nearly ten. "Crap, you must be hungry," he said. The dog whined again, and Yuuri threw off the covers, searching his drawer for a shirt. Once he was dressed, he made his way to the inn's dining room.

"Finally awake, huh?" his sister, Mari noted as he walked into the kitchen, looking for Makkachin's dog food.

"Mm," Yuuri answered simply.

"I'm surprised you didn't go with Victor today," she said as she continued to clean the sink. "Taking a break?"

"Sorta."

"Hmm, well, if you have nothing better to do, help out around the inn, yeah?"

"Ok." He poured the food into the dog bowl and gave Makkachin a quick pat as the dog hurried forward eagerly.

Mari handed him a duster and a broom and sent him off right after breakfast. Yuuri was almost glad for the distraction; ever since he'd retired, he'd found he had too much free time on his hands, and too much time to think about unnecessary things. Work, even routine work like cleaning, let him focus on something for a while, and he hardly noticed the hours tick by until it was already late in the afternoon.

When Victor came home and Yuuri asked him how his day had been, Victor smiled warmly and said he'd had a great time. All of Yuuri's anxiety suddenly seemed to reappear out of nowhere.

* * *

A few days later, as he was walking Makkachin along the beach in the morning, someone called out to him.

"Yuuri!"

Startled, he looked up and found one of Victor's students running up toward him.

"Natsume! What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised. "Isn't it time for your lesson?"

The boy stopped, panting. "Victor-sensei... needs you," he wheezed.

"Huh?"

"Hurry!" Natsume shouted, startling Yuuri. "Victor-sensei is in trouble!" He grabbed Yuuri's shirt, tugging him along. "Hurry, go!"

Something about the urgency in the boy's tone sparked something in his breast, and before he knew it he was running, sprinting down the beach with Makkachin bounding along joyfully just behind. He didn't stop until he reached the rink, his heart pounding in his ears.

"Yuuri! What the-?!" Yuuko exclaimed as he stumbled in, heaving.

"Victor... where...?"

"On the ice, but-" Before she could ask, he hurried away, sprinting through the building. He threw the door to the rink open, scanning desperately for a sign of him.

"Victor!" he shouted, but a moment later a loud popping noise made him jump.

"SURPRISE!"

Yuri blinked, shocked, as several of Victor's students ran up to him and started laughing. Victor himself was grinning, holding up a sheet of paper. The sight of him smiling, unhurt, sent a wave of relief through Yuuri, and he found himself throwing his arms around Victor's neck.

"Yu-Yuuri?!" Victor stuttered.

"Thank goodness, I thought you were hurt," Yuuri cried, his voice muffled in Victor's shoulder. A moment later Victor relaxed and he pulled Yuuri in close.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you," he said quietly.

"You jerk, you never think about the consequences of the stunts you pull!"

"I know, I'm sorry."

"And what was that about making me stay at home by myself?!"

"I just wanted to surprise you-"

"I was so anxious, I thought you were gonna leave me!"

"What?! I would never!"

"I thought you were tired of me, or that you were regretting retirement...!" Victor suddenly grabbed him by the shoulders firmly, pushing him away slightly to look him in the eyes.

"I'd never get tired of you, Yuuri. And I never once regretted retiring to marry you. I thought you knew that."

"I... I can't help worrying," Yuuri muttered, ashamed. "I just... now that I'm not skating anymore, I don't know what to do, I feel so useless..."

"I know, why do you think I wanted to surprise you?" Victor smiled.

"Huh?"

"Kids, help me hold up the banner," Victor called, and several of the children hurried forward to take the other end of the sheet he'd been holding. They pulled it taut until Yuuri could read 'Welcome, Yuuri-sensei!' in thick, childish Katakana.

"Wh-what's this?" Yuuri asked, completely nonplussed.

"We want you to become a skating teacher," Victor laughed. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Me?!"

"Of course. You were one of the top international skaters, weren't you? I know you said you didn't think you'd make a good teacher when I took this job, but I've been watching you all this time and I think you were selling yourself short. And I'm not the only one, right everyone?"

"Yeah!" the kids all said together. One of them raised their hand.

"Yuuri-sensei, you're always really nice and you help us lots! We want you to teach us more!" she piped up.

"But I don't know how-" Yuuri began, flustered.

"You're wrong, Yuuri," Victor said softly. "You're very patient, and I think you could easily teach your own students if you wanted to. And I know that you miss being on the ice, I can see it in your face whenever you think no one is looking." He reached out to take Yuuri's hands, clasping them in his own. "Just because you're retired doesn't mean that you have to stop loving skating. This is your chance to share that love, just like you shared it with me."

Yuuri blushed, looking down at their entwined hands. The wedding band on Victor's finger caught the light, and a small smile worked its way onto his lips.

"Well... I suppose I could give it a try."

"That's my Yuuri," Victor said, kissing him on the cheek. "You'll be a great coach, you'll see."

* * *

He becomes a different person on the ice. All the uncertainty seems to fall away as the music begins to play, and Victor knows he made the right call, asking him to teach. Though he hasn't performed in almost a year, there's still a lovely grace to Yuuri's movements, still passion in his expression.

 _He blooms when he skates, like a flower that only blooms at night_ , he thinks, cheek pressed to his hand as he watches, mesmerized. _Really, it's beautiful. I never get tired of watching him._

The children clap as he lands a particularly nice jump, and Victor whistles at him.

 _That's a man born to be an ice dancer,_ he thinks. A second later, Yuuri attempts a trickier jump and falls. Victor snorts at his embarrassed expression. _But, that clumsy side of him is cute, too. You really are hopeless, Yuuri. Hopeless, but determined, once you have a fire to drive you._

 _I hope I can keep being your fire._

* * *

 **Notes:**

I have feels about my ice skater child ok; it's been ages since there's been an anime with an MC at my age airing, and I definitely share that anxiety Yuuri has about what to do with his future once his immediate career is over. That, and I'm madly in love with the free skate routine from episode 7; even without the kiss, that's a masterful scene, I cry thinking about how well it was directed... So I ended up just pouring some feels onto paper. Not as much romance as I initially intended, but I kind of wanted to explore some of Yuuri's anxiety. It won't disappear overnight, but I like the idea of him and Victor teaching kids together, and I feel like it would be good for him in the long run.


End file.
